A/N: I have recently seen the Phantom of the Opera and read some fanfictions for it. I've noticed how in some (most) in the end Erik always ends up sad. So, I wanted to make where Erik doesn't get dissed. (I don't remember what the characters look like so I'm making it up mostly.)
Chapter 1
Jazlyn
My dad and I needed money. That's why I tried to be as happy as a depressed 17 year old could look when my dad told me he got a job cleaning at the nearby Opera house. Then I tried to look ecstatic when he said that the managers said that they could provide a few rooms for us to stay in while he works there. He told me that I would be treated like a quote and quote "normal" kid. And help out after I finished school. There was a nearby school and I would just have to continue my education like a good little girl.
To tell the truth I hated Opera, guess I would just have to suck it up and find some earplugs...
I was to be rooming in a deep and distant room since I demanded that I room alone. Convincing them it was because I didn't want to disturb anyone with my saxophone practicing. When I got to the room, I saw why getting it had been so easy.
It was awful. The lighting was poor, the only source a small lamp on a dusty table near a battered mattress. The white walls were so dusty they looked like a dull brown color. I sucked in a deep breath – not to mention a mouthful of dust – and sucked it up putting my bags in front of a tall dresser with a built-in mirror.
My dad had me get ready a bag for school tomorrow – it was Sunday – and he also had me get my saxophone cleaned so it would look "nice". Not caring about the fact the I was fully clothed with shoes and trudged to the bed and buried myself in the covers. I pushed my face deep into pillows and drifted slowly the smell of an old dusty pillow coating my nose.
I woke to the sting of a bright light and saw my room had a balcony. Shoving myself up from the bed I ran into the light and threw open two glass doors. It was beautiful. The view overlooked the front of the Opera House and the streets and stores surrounding it. But the angle it was set at made everything look like a dream.
I sighed heavily and walked back into my room. Opening one of my bags I retrieved a pair of black skinny jeans and a black t-shirt.
I pulled my scarlet red hair back into a quick braid. And fixed my gold-brown glasses onto my pale skin. I stared into the mirror at my odd-looking reflection. Me with my bright red hair and different color eyes. Yeah, different color eyes; thank God it wasn't that noticeable. Then I would have to explain my eyes to anyone who saw them. One eye was a dark blue like the sea, and the other was a dark forest green. But the colors had streaks of blue and green in them, making them appear the same color to human eyes from behind my glasses. Without them you could clearly see the difference.
At that point my dad opened the door and stepped in. "Do you like it?" He asked, his eyes bright.
"Yeah, it's great." I said fake smiling.
"And even better, I found at some of the kids that are going to be going to your school also stay in the Opera House." He said.
"Great." I said with mock enthusiasm.
"Their names are Erik and Raoul." He continued not noticing my "new" unhappy mode.
"Cool." I said my voice lacking all emotion.
"Come on," my father said taking my arm, "I'll take you to meet them."
My father led me down a bunch of confusing hallways before telling me to sit on the stage while he tries to find them.
"Who are you?" A voice asked behind me asked fallowed by two pairs of footsteps walking towards me.
I whirled and saw two people standing near the middle of the stage while I was perked on the edge. They both looked about my age and I assumed that these were the people my father was talking about. One had a golden brown hair color that reminded you of fields of wheat and pale green eyes. And the other had raven hair as dark as the night itself and ice-blue eyes like glaciers; but half his face was covered by a white mask.
"I'm Jazlyn." My voice was shaky so I cleared my throat. "My dad recently got a job here and we were offered to live here."
"I'm Raoul." The one with the golden hair said.
"Erik." The other said not bothering to look at me while he said it.
"Do you play any instruments?" Not wanting to be the only "band geek".
"Piano." Erik said still looking away from me.
"Nothing." Raoul said with a sheepish smile. "You play...?" He asked, tailing off leaving me to finish the statement.
"Tenor saxophone." I said feeling proud of my big bulky musical nuisance.
"You found them." I heard my dad's panting voice behind me.
"Do you have my schedule?" I asked changing the subject.
"Oh yes, here it is; I forgot to give it to you." He said handing me a crumple piece of paper.
Okay, first period: English. Second period: Drama. Third: Band. Forth: Gym. Fifth: Math. Six: History/Science.
Raoul peeked over my shoulder trying to read me classes. I narrowed my eyes at him and handed over the paper. He grinned impishly at me before going back to reading my classes. "We have gym and math together." He said then handing the paper to Erik.
Erik's eyes avoided the paper as it was shoved into his hand but curiosity overpowered him and he opened the schedule. "We have band, drama, history/science and English together." He said still refusing to look at me. His hand reached out to hand me my schedule back and his hand brushed against mine, shocking me. "Sorry," he mumbled jerking his hand back.
I nodded a quick goodbye and went back down to my room. Quickly I put on some socks then grabbed my black – big surprise there – converse. I had the backpack ready and soon I had it on hanging loosely from one shoulder. Then I picked up my saxophone and walked back up to the stage where Erik and Raoul still were their backpacks huddled up on the other side of the stage.
"Ready?" Raoul asked going over to get his backpack.
"Yeah," I said letting go of my saxophone and catching it again before it had time to fall so my hand was rested more comfortably on the handle. "Let's go.
School...was not very fun. In English we had to read The Phantom of the Opera then do a project on it. My partner was Erik and he said the Opera House had a library with that book.
In drama we were told of our musical, Phantom of the Opera. Wow...big shocker. I'm sensing a theme here.
Band was nice though. Because of the big band I had to sit right next to the large piano in the back, right next to Erik. He wanted me to play my concert B flat major scale and my concert F major scale so he could see my progress in the two. Concert B flat was easy. Just a low C, high D, high E, high F, high G, high A, high B, high C and then back down again. Then concert F major was also super simple. Just a low G, low A, low B, low C, high D, high E, high F sharp, high G then back down again. Then I was given the music for our concert which was Antagonist, Bunker Hill March and Gettysburg a Civil War portrait.
Gym was purely annoying; in which I was given an old donated gym uniform and run laps for the rest of the hour. Raoul and I ran together talking about what happened normally at the Opera House.
And since I've sucked at math my whole life I zoned out when our teacher started talking about Algebra 2.
In History/Science I sat next to Erik because he was the only person I knew. And the teacher talked a lot before putting on a video about World War II. I saw Erik starting to fall asleep before the teacher slammed a ruler on his desk. He looked around wildly before his eyes finally met my face. He looked at my eyes with a questioning glare. I burried my face in my hands and focused on the screams and gunshots from the video. But I couldn't help a blush from creeping onto my cheeks and a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips.